Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, predicted that paid employment could become entirely optional within the next 10 to 20 years due to rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics. Speaking on a podcast episode with Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath released on Sunday, Musk described a future in which work resembles a hobby rather than an economic necessity, comparing it to choosing whether to grow one’s own vegetables or buy them from a store.

“Working will be optional, like a hobby, pretty much,” Musk said, adding that AI and robotics will reach a level of abundance where they can satisfy virtually all human material needs. He suggested the transformation could arrive even sooner than two decades, potentially within 10 to 15 years, and that highly capable systems might eventually “run out of things to do to make humans happy” because of finite human desires. Musk first voiced similar views publicly at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, DC, on November 19, 2025.

In the longer term, Musk foresees a post-scarcity economy in which traditional currency loses relevance. “Money will stop being relevant at some point in the future,” he stated at the forum, emphasizing that physical constraints such as energy, electricity, and raw materials will remain limiting factors even in an AI-driven world. He cited science-fiction depictions of benevolent AI societies where money no longer exists as a plausible outcome if technological progress continues unchecked.

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The comments add to Musk’s longstanding warnings and optimism about artificial intelligence, a technology he has both heavily invested in through companies such as xAI and repeatedly cautioned could pose existential risks if not properly aligned. While the timeline remains speculative, the remarks underscore the growing debate over how superintelligent systems and advanced robotics will reshape labor markets, economic structures, and human purpose in the coming decades.

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